My first visit to Walt Disney World was in the summer of 1977. My brother and I had dreamt about this vacation for a long time. We grew up watching The Wonderful World of Disney on Sunday evenings, and when the TV show featured either Disneyland or Walt Disney World, we were glued to the set … mouths agape and eyes barely blinking.

It took a while for our dream vacation to unfold. It took two days to drive from New Jersey to Central Florida, and on the third day we headed to the Magic Kingdom, the resort’s only theme park at the time. We waited for what seemed like an eternity to pass through the main entrance to the parking lot. We then waited for the tram that took us from the lot to the Ticket and Transportation Center where we waited in yet another line to purchase tickets.

Unlike today’s admission which entitles you to enjoy every ride and attraction as often as you like, these were Adventure Ticket Booklets that contained 12 coupons lettered A through E, and each coupon was only good for a selection of rides and attractions. You could use the “E Ticket” to go on Space Mountain, the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean or into the Haunted Mansion, among other attractions, but the booklet did not include enough coupons to do them all.

I remember how tough it was to decide on which rides I would use the coupons, and I also remember how long we waited in line. I didn’t mind it so much for Space Mountain, as the ride was worth it, but my brother and I both felt jilted when we waited for more than an hour to go into the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Thankfully, ticket options and ways to navigate the sometimes insanely long lines at the Disney theme parks have changed dramatically. Admission now includes unlimited access to all of the rides and attractions, and Disney’s FASTPASS system is a great way to significantly reduce your wait times. Indicative of its name, this system issues attraction passes that enable you to get through the queue lines fast – usually with little or no wait. It’s really easy to use and available for the most popular attractions and thrill rides throughout WDW’s four theme parks. And the other best part … there’s no additional cost to use it.

FASTPASS distribution areas are clearly marked and the machines that dispense the passes are aptly decorated to match the attraction theme. Simply insert your admission ticket into the slot and a FASTPASS will drop from the chute below. Disney Cast Members are on hand if you should need assistance.

The FASTPASS shows a one-hour time interval (e.g., 9:45 AM and 10:45 AM) during which you may return to enjoy the attraction. If you’re late getting back, don’t stress. You’ll still be able to use your pass after your specified time. When you do return, go through the separate FASTPASS entrance where you will bypass the stand-by line. There may be a minimal wait, however, as other FASTPASS holders will be coming to the attraction at the same time. The longest FASTPASS wait I’ve experienced was about 10 minutes at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Not bad compared to the 60- to 70-minute stand-by wait that’s typical for this ride.

A few things to note: The system limits the number of FASTPASS tickets you may have at once. The time at which another will be available to you is noted on the bottom of the FASTPASS. Each one is good for a single use – a Cast Member will collect the pass as you enter the attraction. The number of FASTPASS tickets distributed is based on each attraction’s daily capacity. When park attendance is high, it’s likely that FASTPASS tickets for the most popular attractions will run out early in the day. I’ve noticed this happen most with Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Soarin’ ride at Epcot.

A few suggestions on how to maximize your theme park visits and the FASTPASS system: Get to the park when it opens. Go first to one of the more popular attractions to get a FASTPASS and note the time when another pass will be available. Do as much as you can while the lines are still fairly short during the morning hours and collect a few more FASTPASS tickets along the way. When the park gets crowded take a break, get a bite to eat and return to the park later to use your FASTPASS tickets.

When you visit the Magic Kingdom, make your first stop at Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain or Space Mountain (once it reopens; it's currently closed for refurbishment until Nov. 21). At Epcot, go first to Soarin’ and then to Test Track. At Hollywood Studios, head to Toy Story Mania then to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. At Animal Kingdom, go right to Expedition Everest then on to Kali River Rapids and Kilimanjaro Safaris. These are some of the best attractions and do draw the longest lines. Hitting them first thing in the morning ensures a minimal wait time and the opportunity to get a FASTPASS for a return visit later in the day.

A complete list of all the WDW rides and attractions that offer FASTPASS service is available on the Walt Disney World web site.